This application claims the priority of Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-310135 filed on Oct. 11, 2000, which is incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to a card connector which enables removable attachment of a card-like memory module to a circuit board for information transfer between the memory module and information processing circuits provided on the board.
Recent development in information technology has achieved miniaturization, mass and high-speed storage, low-power consumption and function diversification of card-like memory modules. As a result, various types of card-like memory modules (hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9cmemory cardsxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9ccardsxe2x80x9d) are now standardized for use in cellular telephone sets and information processing and image processing equipment. Examples of such memory cards are SIM Card, SD Card, Memory Stick and Smart Media (all are registered trademarks).
Nowadays, efforts are being made to develop a product which makes use of various types of memory cards to take advantage of functions or features offered by individual memory cards. Such products are a cellular phone which allows attachment of multiple cards and an information processing device which accepts various types of memory cards.
At present, standards specifying memory cards are different for each type, so various types of card connectors are used to removably mount various types of memory cards to circuit boards. In this circumstance, to make a product which enables use of multiple types of memory cards, the circuit board of the product must be equipped with multiple types of card connectors that are designed for these specific types of memory cards. This condition presents the following problems, which will increase production cost. The surface areas required on the circuit board for the mounting of the connectors must increase, and the number of assembly steps must also increase correspondingly to the number of the connectors being required.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a card connector which allows insertion of a plurality of memory cards.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a card connector which requires no extra surface area for mounting and which allows insertion of a plurality of memory cards.
The present invention provides a card connector which comprises a main body, a flap member, a plurality of first contacts and a plurality of second contacts. The main body has a receiving part, which a first card-like memory module is inserted into and removed from through an insertion opening. The flap member is mounted on the upper part of the main body pivotally so as to be opened and closed with respect to the main body, and the flap member engages and retains a second card-like memory module in closed condition and maintains the second card-like memory module parallel to the upper surface of the main body and above the receiving part. Each first contact, which is retained in the main body, comprises a first contact portion at one end (for example, the contact portion 31a described in the following embodiment), which extends out of the lower surface of the receiving part into the receiving part, and a first mounting portion at the other end (for example, the tail portion 31b described in the following embodiment), which extends to and comes out of the lower surface of the main body. Each second contact, which is retained in the main body, comprises a second contact portion at one end (for example, the contact portion 32a described in the following embodiment), which extends upward out of the main body at a location above the receiving part, and a second mounting portion at the other end (for example, the tail portion 32b described in the following embodiment), which extends to and comes out of the lower surface of the main body. In this card connector, when the first card-like memory module is inserted into the receiving part, the terminals of the first card-like memory module come into contact with the first contact portions in the receiving part, so that information transfer can be executed between the first card-like memory module and a plated printed circuit provided on a circuit board, to which circuit the first mounting portions are connected. Furthermore, when the flap member is closed to install the second card-like memory module on the upper part of the main body, the terminals of the second card-like memory module come into contact with the second contact portions, so that information transfer can be executed between the second card-like memory module and the plated printed circuit, to which the second mounting portions are connected.
This connector has a first connector section, which comprises the receiving part of the main body and the first contacts, and a second connector section, which is positioned above the receiving part of the main body, i.e., above the first connector section, and which comprises the flap member and the second contacts extending upward above the receiving part. If the first card-like memory module is inserted in the first connector section, and the second card-like memory module, which is set in the flap member, is installed in the second connector section, then information transfer can be executed between each card-like memory module and the circuit of the circuit board, on which the card connector is mounted. As the first connector section and the second connector section are stacked one on the other in a one-piece body of the card connector, the installation area required for one card connector can be used effectively for simultaneous use of two removable card-like memory modules. This arrangement of the card connector does not increase number of parts and number of assembly steps much, so the present invention can provide such card connectors and circuit boards at a relatively low production-cost.
In the card connector, it is preferable that the first mounting portions of the first contacts and the second mounting portions of the second contacts be arranged on sides of the main body which sides are faced in two directions that meet at right angles. In this arrangement, for example, the first contacts and the second contacts are placed to extend in directions perpendicular to each other, and the ends of the first and second contacts to be used for mounting the card connector are bent simply toward the circuit board as the first and second mounting portions. The mounting portions can be placed on two mutually perpendicular sides of the main body where the contacts extend, or on three mutually perpendicular sides of the main body by arranging either the first contacts or the second contacts on both the sides of the main body in one direction, or on the four mutually perpendicular sides around the main body by arranging both the first contacts and the second contacts on both the sides of the main body in the two directions. In this way, the peripheral sides of the main body can be used effectively to arrange the mounting portions of the contacts. As a result, the card connector, which allows simultaneous use of two card-like memory modules, can be designed to require a relatively small area for installation.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a card connector, which comprises a main body, a flap member, a plurality of first contacts and a plurality of second contacts, has the following features. The main body has a receiving part with an insertion opening, where a first card-like memory module is inserted and removed. The flap member is mounted pivotally on the part of the main body that extends laterally away from the receiving part, so the flap member can be opened and closed with respect to the main body. The flap member, after receiving a second card-like memory module, is closed to install and retain the second card-like memory module laterally next to the first card-like memory module, which is installed in the receiving part. Each first contact, which is retained in the main body, comprises a first contact portion at one end (for example, the contact portion 36a described in the following embodiment), which extends out of the lower surface of the receiving part into the receiving part, and a first mounting portion at the other end (for example, the tail portion 36b described in the following embodiment), which extends to and comes out of the lower surface of the main body. Each second contact, which is retained in the main body, comprises a second contact portion at one end (for example, the contact portion 37a described in the following embodiment), which extends upward out of the part of the main body that extends laterally away from the receiving part, and a second mounting portion at the other end (for example, the tail portion 37b described in the following embodiment), which extends to and comes out of the lower surface of the main body. In this card connector, when the first card-like memory module is inserted into the receiving part, the terminals of the first card-like memory module come into contact with the first contact portions, so that information transfer can be executed between the first card-like memory module and a plated printed circuit provided on a circuit board, to which the first mounting portions are connected. Also, when the flap member is closed to install the second card-like memory module, the terminals of the second card-like memory module come into contact with the second contact portions, so that information transfer can be executed between the second card-like memory module and the plated printed circuit, to which the second mounting portions are connected.
This connector also has a first connector section, which comprises the receiving part of the main body and the first contacts, and a second connector section, which comprises the part of the main body that extends laterally away from the receiving part of the first connector section, the flap member and the second contacts that extend upward from the part of the main body extending laterally away from the receiving part. If the first card-like memory module is inserted in the first connector section, and the second card-like memory module, which is set in the flap member, is installed in the second connector section, then information transfer can be executed between each card-like memory module and the circuit of the circuit board, on which the card connector is mounted. As the first connector section and the second connector section are arranged laterally next to each other in a one-piece body of the card connector, the installation height required for one card connector can be used effectively for simultaneous use of two removable card-like memory modules. This arrangement of the card connector does not increase number of parts and number of assembly steps much, so the present invention can provide such card connectors and circuit boards at a relatively low production-cost.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should -be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.